We Americans will soon feast at a Thanksgiving meal. We praise the cooks, give thanks to the farmers and ranchers, remember our family and friends, and offer gratitude to our loving God. It is a pause we take, in the midst of favorite recipes and hot ovens and table dressings, of laughter and sometimes tears.

I began the preparations today and thought about those for whom I am most grateful. One such person is Fred. He is never without a smile, and I’ve never known him to be contrary. He goes about life slowly now, after one leg was taken by cancer. He seems older than his 70 plus years, but his unusual kindness is very childlike. His joy always elicits mine, and for that, I’m ever so grateful.

And, there’s Judy, the embodiment of all-things-wonderful. Half my height, she sees possibility in the shadows of life. She is the rainbow for which we all search. And while her journey humbles the most difficult of travels, it is her wisdom and passion that awaken my own. I am forever moved by her love of life and for the rainbow she has helped me find.

When we pause, aren’t we all grateful for those who have shown us joy or love or all that a rainbow represents? I am grateful for so many, especially you today. May your Thanksgiving be one of blessings, unexpected and heart-filling. ​

Reading your words, Gwen, is always like a balm on my soul. Thank you so much for gifting us with that message from Maya Angelou. You are one of my "rainbows" and I wish you great blessings as you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl,Man’s Search for Meaning